The present invention relates to vehicles in which people may be transported in a passenger compartment, and more particularly to automotive vehicles by which the passengers of the vehicle control the vehicle in both full size for adults and reduced size for children.
Automotive vehicles powered by self-contained engines have been provided since the early part of this century. With the number of automotive vehicles on the road increasing, concern for safety of the passengers also has been increasing. Critics are not satisfied with the safety of these vehicles, although various safety features have been provided to automotive vehicles. Protection of the passenger compartment upon impact has primarily been provided by reinforcing the passenger compartment and/or allowing the passenger compartment to collapse upon impact in an engineered manner by which the passengers are protected. A few designs have been provided by which the passenger compartment separates upon impact and travels upon an inclined plane to absorb impact, Others utilize spherical or cylindrical passenger compartments, and others use seats which pivot with regard to the frame of the vehicle. None of these latter designs have been commercialized or placed into production,
It is therefore highly desirable to provide a new and improved automotive vehicle.
It is also highly desirable to provide an improved automotive vehicle which has improved capability of absorbing the impact of collision from all directions,
It is also highly desirable to provide an improved automotive vehicle in which the passenger compartment is mounted with respect to the axle such that the linear forces of collision are converted to angular movement thereby absorbing the impact of collision.
It is also highly desirable to provide an improved automotive vehicle in which the passenger compartment is allowed to move through 360.degree. of rotation, unconstrained upon collision with another object.
It is also highly desirable to provide an improved automotive vehicle in which wheels are mounted on an axle and the passenger compartment is mounted beneath the axle between the wheels and allowed to swing about the axle in unconstrained, 360.degree. rotational movement upon collision with another object.
It is also highly desirable to provide an improved automotive vehicle in which the impact of collision is absorbed by converting the force of impact in one direction to angular momentum and allowing the passenger compartment to swing unconstrained, 360.degree. about the axle and by providing wheels spanning the entire passenger compartment which collapse upon impact in the other direction.
It is finally highly desirable to provide an improved automotive vehicle having all of the above-identified features.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a new and improved automotive vehicle.
It is also an object of the invention to provide an improved automotive vehicle which has improved capability of absorbing the impact of collision from all directions.
It is also an object of the invention to provide an improved automotive vehicle in which the passenger compartment is mounted with respect to the axle such that the linear forces of collision are converted to angular movement thereby absorbing the impact of collision.
It is also an object of the invention to provide an improved automotive vehicle in which the passenger compartment is allowed to move through 360.degree. of rotation, unconstrained upon collision with another object.
It is also an object of the invention to provide an improved automotive vehicle in which wheels are mounted on an axle and the passenger compartment is mounted beneath the axle between the wheels and allowed to swing about the axle in unconstrained, 360.degree. rotational movement upon collision with another object.
It is also an object of the invention to provide an improved automotive vehicle in which the impact of collision is absorbed by converting the force of impact in one direction to angular momentum and allowing the passenger compartment to swing unconstrained, 360.degree. about the axle and by providing wheels spanning the entire passenger compartment which collapse upon impact in the other direction.
It is finally an object of the invention to provide an improved automotive vehicle having all of the above-identified features.
In the broader aspects of the invention, there is provided a new and novel automotive vehicle having a passenger compartment suspended between two wheels mounted at the ends of a single axle that is perpendicular to the direction of travel. The passenger compartment is mounted beneath the axle so as to allow the passenger compartment to pivot in an unconstrained manner, 360.degree. about the axle upon collision. In one particular embodiment of the invention, the two wheels are fixed hubs that have one or more drive wheels attached thereto. In another particular embodiment of the invention, the two wheels are fixed hubs that have endless drive tracks mounted thereon.